The Olympics is an event the world looks forward to showcasing their athletes and the culmination of a life’s work. More importantly, it is a time to unify and have the world come together. It is no secret that 2024 is an election year as more than a billion will cast their votes worldwide, as many people who are old enough to remember multiple election cycles, election years are the craziest most unpredictable, and most unstable time in a country. The Olympics being center stage for the world leads to an opportunity for violent extremists or terrorists to disrupt the world further and shake the Western world to its core.
The Munich Massacre
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Two tragic events happened during the Olympic games. In Munich, Germany in 1972, the world was on pins and needles as the U.S. and Russia were in the midst of the Cold War. Germany hosted the Olympics for the first time since 1936 at the height of Hitler’s reign. The ’72 games were meant to help the German people and showcase the growth of Germany and having Israel in the games was supposed to be a big step towards healing the wounds of the Nazi Regime nearly half a century prior.
In the early hours of September 5th, Palestinian Terrorists “Black September” a wing of the Palestine Liberation Group snuck into the Olympic Village and took Israeli athletes hostage. The standoff between police and the terrorists was caught on live television. In the 20-hour standoff, all 11 Israeli hostages were killed along with five terrorists and a German police officer. The darkest day in the history of the modern Olympics.
Given the events of October 7th of last year, it is an eerie tone to what could come in Paris this year. The reactions of many leaders around the globe don’t calm the fears of many Jewish people around the world as protests all around the world chanting Anti-Semitic slogans and even in some places riots and violence against Jewish people since October 7th.
Atlanta Bombing
July 27, 1996, in Atlanta, Georgia during the Olympics, a bomb went off in Centennial Olympic Park killing one person and injuring 112 others. Law Enforcement and the FBI quickly determined the perpetrator to be a right-wing anti-government extremist, instead of a foreign terrorist group The FBI had profiled Richard Jewell as the bomber. Jewell was the security guard who originally alerted the police to the suspicious bag.
Even though the FBI never had evidence of Jewell’s involvement they still tried to increase the pressure to confess by leaking his name to the media as the prime suspect. Nearly two years later the FBI was able to tie Right Wing Extremist Eric Rudolph to the bombing with identical bombings at an abortion clinic and a gay nightclub. Rudolph confessed to all the bombings and was sentenced to multiple life sentences in 2005.
Election Year Madness
The last election cycle was the toughest year for not just Americans but the entire world. The COVID-19 pandemic running rampant across the world killing millions of people around the world. Riots in major cities across the world. The United States election results were denied by nearly half the country and the Olympics were pushed back to 2021.
This year alone we have seen a former President charged with several felonies in several counties, convicted of 34, An Assassination attempt on the presidential front runner. Tensions among not just Americans rising but among the entire world. War raging on in Ukraine, Israel is still at war with Hamas while another terror group is shooting rockets from the North. Iran and Israel exchanged rocket fire, the Iranian leadership was wiped out by a helicopter crash, and a terrorist attack in Moscow and it is only July.
Why the Olympic Games Matter
The Olympic games may not be a big deal to some Americans however, the Olympics are sporting events, and as much as people whine and complain about sports and how much athletes make. What gets lost in turbulent times is the importance of sports that sports are a great unifier. Thousands of people gather to cheer and enjoy being in one another’s company and an appreciation for the sport. In a world that looks so dark and gloomy sports provide a light and show how great people can be.
Unfortunately, violent extremists are aware and will attempt to destroy that all to become famous or for an evil cause. On top of the fact that the Olympics is a major worldwide event that will be seen by millions but is in one of the most recognizable cities in the world of Paris, France. Given the events of last weekend, France will undoubtedly beef up security even more.
Hopefully, the only shock in the Olympics is an incredible upset or a good underdog story. Nobody is hoping for violence in Paris but many worry. The best story that can come out is that the games were great and exciting and maybe a close call in Lebron James Olympic Swan Song. This may be an overreaction or overly cautious but it is worth noting the fears of some and learning from the failures of 1996 and 1972 to make sure that never happens again and the leaders and media of the West turn down the harsh tone and embrace the differences of politics, religious and philosophies.
